Max Thelen Jr., a retired attorney who quietly played a major role in the development of important artistic and cultural organizations in Marin County over the past 50 years, will be remembered at a memorial service at 2 p.m. March 7 in the Clubhouse at Peacock Gap Country Club in San Rafael.

Mr. Thelen, San Rafael's Citizen of the Year in 2009, died Feb. 13 at his home in San Rafael. He was 94.

With his wife, artist Phyllis Thelen, he was one of the founders of Art Works Downtown, a San Rafael nonprofit that provides low-income housing, studio space, gallery exhibits and events for emerging artists as well as offering classes and lectures. In 1999, Mr. Thelen was instrumental in putting together the innovative deal that allowed the organization to buy its Fourth Street building.

"Over the years, he would burn the midnight oil doing the legal and technical work that were the underpinnings of the organization, and the next day he'd be serving wine at an art opening," said longtime board member Sandy Greenblat, of friend for 50 years.

"There are a few people you run into who are dedicated public servants, not ones who are elected or paid, but who are part of the volunteer community," Greenblat said. "Max identified the fact that society needs public servants from the private sector and he spent his life fulfilling that."

As president of the S.H. Cowell Foundation, Mr. Thelen was crucial in helping the Marin Ballet Association secure a $350,000 grant from the foundation in 1972 to buy the ballet's facility in the Dominican neighborhood.

"It's an amazing gift and a huge legacy for the organization and for the community at large to have this kind of a space," said Marin Ballet Executive Director Lawrence Ewing, praising Mr. Thelen's "incredible vision."

"He was instrumental in the organization's move from being a fledgling nonprofit to becoming what it is today," Ewing said. "We just celebrated our 50th anniversary. And much of it had to do with Max's ability to get his arms around the legal and financial concerns that really made that happen."

A successful trial attorney with a focus in corporate law, Mr. Thelen was a partner in the San Francisco firm of Thelen, Marrin, Johnson and Bridges.

"He was totally loyal to his friends," said John Busterud, a former law firm colleague and state assemblyman. "After I left the firm and started my own office, he used to send me clients. When he had to bring a case against some of those clients, I found him to be a formidable opponent. He was very serious and thorough."

During his legal career, Mr. Thelen was active as a trustee and as president of the World Affairs Council and served as a director of the Commonwealth Club. He met his wife through the United World Federalists, an organization advocating a stronger United Nations.

He also belonged to numerous legal and international organizations, including the San Francisco Committee on Foreign Relations, the World Trade Club and Marines Memorial. In addition, he was on the board of the Salvation Army and the Guardsmen.

After retiring, he became executive director of the Cowell Foundation, expanding its reach beyond Northern California to embrace developing democracies in the Pacific Rim. Through the foundation, he funded successful family planning programs in Mexico and the Philippines.

In 2002, Mr. Thelen and his wife were graduation speakers at Dominican University, which granted him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his service to the international community.

Born in Berkeley in 1919, he graduated at the top of his class from Berkeley High School and was commencement valedictorian at the University of California at Berkeley, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1940. His studies at Harvard Law School were interrupted by World War II. He joined the Navy and served as a lieutenant on a destroyer in the Pacific. After the war, he completed his law studies at Harvard.

In addition to his widow, Mr. Thelen is survived by a sister, Dorothy Clements; two daughters, Nancy Rehkopf of San Rafael and Jane Greene of Novato; two sons, Max Thelen III of San Rafael and Bill Thelen of Corvallis, Mont. He also leaves 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Max Thelen Jr. Leadership Award at Cal, attention Joani Carpenter, Cal Alumni Association, 1 Alumni House, Berkeley, 94720; the World Affairs Council of Northern California, www.worldaffairs.org; or Art Works Downtown, 1337 Fourth St., San Rafael, 94901.